


Better Together

by TribalMoogle



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst and Feels, F/M, Fights, Inner Dialogue, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-19
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-16 23:20:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 8,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13064283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TribalMoogle/pseuds/TribalMoogle
Summary: Gladiolus Amicitia. The man you've been secretly pining for for ages, but you'll never be good enough for him.





	1. Not Good Enough

**Author's Note:**

> So, I had an idea for what I thougth would be a short Gladio/Reader story, but now it's turned into this madness...

SHINK! Your daggers go flying. Cor points his sword at your throat. “Damnit.” You utter in defeat.

With a smirk, Cor lowers his blade. “Not bad. You’re improving.” You go pick up your weapons.

“I’m still not good enough.” You strikes a fighting stance, ready for more. “Best two out of three.”

Cor rolls his eyes, they land on the clock. “I’ve got to get going.” Just then, Gladio enters the training hall. “Gladio can take over from here.”

You freeze. _Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! I can’t spar with Gladio. He’ll see how weak I am. I’ll never stand a chance._ Gladio tosses aside his jacket, pulling you out of your mind. His arms flex deliciously as he pulls his broadsword overhead.

“I was just going to do drills. But I guess I could go a few rounds.” His self confident grin beams.

“She’ll keep you on your toes. Good luck.” Cor leaves you to it. 

Your shoulders sag and your confidence wanes. 

“You ready?” He barks from across the room. You straighten, certain this will be a disaster.

“As I’ll ever be.” He smirks in reply and charges. 

You fake a charge then spin left, giving him a kick to the stomach. He coughs and pivots. “Sneaky move.” He grins. You can’t help the smirk that crawls up your face. He slices down. You roll right. You’re on your back, about to stand, and his sword slams down. You barely get your daggers up in time.

Sparks fly. Your arms shake. He isn’t letting up or going easy. Your daggers inch closer to your chest. You search for a way out. It all seems hopeless until you spy his wide open legs. “Well?” He taunts you.

You smile apologetically. “Hope you don’t wanna have kids.” Confusion sweeps over his face shortly followed by recognition as you pull your knee to your chest and thrust your heel towards him. He moves just in the nick of time. He can’t hide the shock on his face about what almost happened. 

“Playing dirty.” He chides.

“Anything goes, right.” You jump up and twirl your daggers. He chuckles. You charge. He hurls himself forward, slicing parallel to the floor. You jump over the strike and slice towards his shoulder. He backs up and parries. 

You lock weapons at a stand still. Eventually Gladio gets the edge. He bursts forward. One of your daggers flies. You grasp your shoulder as if hurt. Gladio stops his assault and lowers his sword. “You okay?” Genuine concern laces his question. 

You don’t answer, but pant heavily, appearing to be in great pain. Gladio approaches slowly. You turn to him and wink, slicing up from below with your other dagger. He blocks it just in time. 

You exchange blows back and forth with Gladio coming out ahead mainly due to his bulk. Eventually you get locked in another standstill. You grit your teeth as you fight against his titanic force. He looks impressed and you smile. _Maybe I have a chance after all…_

“Time to end this.” He gives a look of partial remorse. You furrow your brow just in time to be swept off your feet and onto your back. All the air pushes from your lungs and a broadsword cuts the light from your vision. 

Your eyes trace up the sword until you meet his cocky gaze. “Not bad kid. You’ve got some tricks up your sleeve.” He replaces his sword with his hand to help you up. 

You sigh heavily and accept the offer. He pulls you up and you replace your daggers. “I’m never gonna be enough.” You whisper to yourself.

“What was that?” Gladio asks.

“Huh? Oh, nothing. Thanks for the match, I gotta go.” You hastily grab your jacket and scurry out.

Gladio cocks and eyebrow. “What was that about?” He shakes his head and chuckles. “Cor’s right, she really does keep you on your toes.” He puts away his sword, grabs his jacket and heads out.


	2. Dying of Embarassment

You face plant onto your bed. The smell of defeat and embarrassment hangs heavy in the air even after you’ve taken a shower to clear your head. 

“That was a disaster.” You roll on your back to stare at the ceiling. “He’s probably laughing in my face right now.” You frown. “I might have to quit the Crownsguard.” 

Your phone pings. It’s Ignis. 

_Sorry if I’m disturbing you, but did you happen to pick up some treaty documents on your way out?_

_Crap._ The papers are on the nightstand. King Regis asked you to look them over and return them to Ignis when you were done. You’d completely forgotten about it as you wallowed in self pity about losing to Gladio.

_Yeah, sorry about that. I’ll be right over._

_Thank you, I appreciate it._

You pocket your phone, grab the papers and head out.

\------------------------------ 

You jog up the Citadel steps, two at a time. At the top you take a moment to catch your breath.

“You’re here late.” The deep voice straightens you out quick. You stare wide eyed at Gladio. “Back for round two?” He teases.

You panic as you try not to stick you foot in your mouth. “No, I uh, had to come back to, uh… Ignis!” Ignis rounds the corner narrowly saving you from embarrassment once again. 

“Ah, you’re here, fantastic.” He pushes his glasses up and closes the folder he was examining. You rush over to him and push him on. 

“Yeah, I actually wanted to ask you some questions about this. You mind?”

“Not at all. This way.” He pauses after a moment. “Something the matter Gladio?” Gladio tries to catch your eye, but you bury your face in the material. He frowns, perhaps he’d scared you earlier. 

“No. Just finishing up rounds. Catch you later Iggy.” He trots off in the opposite direction, sending a concerned glance back towards you. 

“Odd.” Ignis turns his attention back to you. You nearly shake as you pretend to concentrate on the documents. “Is something the matter?”

You flinch and try, very unsuccessfully, to cover for yourself. “What? N-no, nothing’s the matter. I’m fine, perfectly fine.” You flash a nervous smile.

“Indeed…” He trails off. “Come along then, I’ll review the documents with you.” You follow him absently.

In his office, he drones on about the treaties, but you aren’t listening. After a few moments, he’s had enough.

“What is it?” He bites a bit harsher than he intended. 

“What?” You’ve finally heard his words and look to him, genuinely confused.

“You’ve been acting strange all evening and you haven’t listened to a word I’ve said. Something is clearly bothering you, so what is it?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

He raises a refined eyebrow in response. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with Gladio, would it?” Your hand clenches just enough for Ignis to notice. He sighs. “If you have an issue with him, I suggest you speak with him directly and sort it out.”

“Are you crazy, I can’t talk to him!”

“Why not?” You look away and rub your thumb and fingers together in a nervous tell. “Ah.” He surmises. “Just tell him.”

“What? No! Wait, tell him what?” You look to him desperately, trying to confirm if he actually can discern your feelings for Gladio. 

He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs. “He’s no stranger to female adoration. I’m sure he’ll take it as a compliment.”

“I can’t.” You sigh dejectedly. “I’m not good enough.”

“Says who?” Ignis asks, truly curious and full of empathy.

“Says everyone… Me, him, there’s no contest. I’ll never catch up to his level. He’ll never see me that way.” You hang your head in your hands. 

Ignis lightly pads over and places a reassuring hand on your shoulder. You look up at the touch. “I’ve known you long enough to know that’s not true. You are a strong member of the Crownsguard and a fine friend. He would be lucky.” He smiles warmly and it melts your heart. 

“Thanks Ignis.” You huff out. 

“Certainly. Now, shall we get back to business?” You laugh heartily at Ignis’s analytical mind. If only you could be so lucky to compartmentalize your feelings that way. 

“I’m listening professor.” You smile. He nods and continues to explain the documents while your head swims with images of Gladio.


	3. New Assignments

“Specialized training?” You ask Cor.

“A request came in for Crownsguard members to have more realistic team training. You’ll be put in pairs and sent off for three days then report back. You’re with Gladio.” Your jaw drops. 

_Three days? With Gladio? ALONE?! Oh kill me now!_

“You have the rest of the day to prepare, then you leave tomorrow morning.” He goes to leave then turns to call over his shoulder. “I hope you like camping.” 

_Oh hell! This can’t be happening! Why do I have to go with Gladio. I can barely speak around the man. I’m not gonna survive. I might as well -_

“I’ve got camping gear covered.” Gladio’s voice derails your train of thought.

“Huh?”

“For our little adventure. I’ve got cup noodles for food, unless you’ve got something better.”

“I am not spending three days in the wilderness with only cup noodles to sustain me. I’ll get us some real cooking supplies.” _And I know just where to get them_ you think as you storm off. 

Gladio can’t suppress the smirk on his face at your tenacity.

\------------------------------ 

You storm into Ignis’s office. _“A request came in for Crownsguard members to have more realistic team training._ Huh?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He doesn’t take his eyes off his work, but he struggles to hide the coy grin forming on his lips. 

“Ignis, I swear to Shiva, I’m gonna get you back for this!” 

“I thought you’d be pleased. Quality time together.”

“I can’t even carry a coherent conversation with the man!”

“Then I think it’s time you ventured outside your comfort zone.”

“Why don’t _you_ venture outside _your_ comfort zone.” You mumble under your breath.

“What was that?” He asks.

“I said I need to borrow some cook books and spices. You’re sending me off into the wilderness and I am _not_ eating cup noodles all day.” Ignis smirks and rises to assist you.


	4. Into The Wild

The next morning the two of you wordlessly ride to your destination in Duscae. You are unceremoniously plopped into the wilderness. 

Gladio looks over the landscape then back to you. “Well, should we find someplace to camp?” You nod and heft the cooking supplies over your back. 

After a bit of searching, he finds an acceptable haven camping spot. You admire him as he sets up the tent. 

“You really dig this stuff, don’t you?”

His smile is as genuine as they come. “Yeah. We only went a couple times when we were kids, but I remember loving it out here.” His smiles fades just as the memories in his head do.

“I guess you didn’t have much time for this stuff once you started training to protect Noctis, huh?”

“Not really.” His voice seems sad as it trails off.

“I’m gonna take a look around. Ignis said I might be able to find some ingredients to cook with out here. Yell if you need anything.”

“Same to you.”

You nod curtly and venture off. _Well, so far so good. It’s not too excruciatingly awkward, and this could even be a bit fun!_

You walk on a find some peas growing in a bunch, you hunch down and grab some.

“These’s should be pretty good.” A nasty growl rolls in behind you.

You turn to see a pack of sabertusks surrounding you. You summon your daggers and lower into a squat. The runt of the pack charges. You dodge left and stab deep into it’s chest. Blood rushes up it’s throat and it falls at your feet. 

The others snort and growl at the move. “Bring it on.” You taunt. The alpha seems to understand and barks to the others. The remaining three sabertusks charge in tandem with each other. 

You run back towards the tree and up it to jump over them. The alpha anticipates the action and swings his head back, slicing your calf. 

“Damnit.” You squeak as you limp to the ground. The alpha faces you, flanked by the other two. You toss a dagger with each hand and the support sabertusks fall.

The alpha sends a low growl your way. “Let’s dance puppy.” The creature snaps it’s jowls at you and charges. You spin and land a solid kick to its underside, hurling it a few feet away. It lands with thud and rises cautiously, holding a forepaw tight to its body.

You get a surge in confidence and continue to taunt the beast. “I’d scurry on home if you wanna save yourself.” The beast snorts and sends a wallowing howl into air. “Nice battle cry.” You smirk. Suddenly reply howls chime in from all around you. They get closer. And louder. You spin and see five more allies that have come to the creature’s aid. 

You swallow hard then snap up your daggers. Time to prove your worth. The pack surrounds you, pushing you up against a massive boulder. _Damnit, pretty smart guys._ They snarl, waiting for the order from the alpha. He eyes you then snaps loudly. _Here we go._ The five newbies leap towards you. 

You inject fire magic into your daggers. Poised to strike, you hear a yell from behind. Your eyes search for the sound. Gladio hurls himself at the beasts. 

Your glance to him costs you. A tusk goes straight up your arm, leaving a deep gash. You cry out in pain and you see Gladio’s eyes strain in worry. You use your good arm to finish off the beast that injured you. 

Gladio demolishes the other four, leaving behind the alpha. Gladio instinctively stands between the two of you. 

“Out of the way.” You bark.

“You’re hurt.” He counters. Keeping his eyes on the beast. 

“I’m fine.” You make your move. You sneak around Gladio and hurl a fiery mess towards the beast. It cries out in pain and runs away before falling down. You smile at the accomplishment and rise to your feet. After one last look at the beast, you turn towards Gladio and camp. Your cocky smile fades when you see him.

“That was careless.” He lectures. 

“I go the job done, didn’t I?”

“That’s not the point. This may be training, but we’re not in the Citadel, you can get seriously hurt out here.”

You slap a potion to your chest and your wounds heal. “I’m fine. See?”

He shakes his head. “You’re gonna get yourself or someone else killed.” He turns and heads toward camp. 

_The nerve of this guy!_ You chase after him and grab his arm. “What about you? You rush into situations half cocked all the time.”

“I know the risks and I know my limits.”

“So do I!” You can’t recall the last time you were this angry. 

Gladio sighs defeatedly. “Just be careful. It’s not just your life on the line.” He walks toward camp. “Come on, more’ll be coming.”

You clench your fists and storm after the man. _Crap, I can’t win. I hold back and he thinks I’m weak, I go for it and he calls me careless. This is pissing me off! I really don’t stand a chance…_


	5. Bonding Time

You silently prepare dinner while Gladio lays out the bedrolls and preps the fire. You angrily chop vegetables as you ready your stew. 

“Need a hand?” Gladio offers.

“No.” You bite back a bit harsh, still pissed at him.

He sighs. “Look, I’m sorry about earlier, but you gotta see the big picture.” The fire comes to life. 

“I do all right. I get it. We gotta look out for each other.” You push past him and lug the pot over the fire. You slump down in a chair once your task is done. He sits in the other chair, admiring the scenery and fire. There’s a long silence that finally forces you to speak. 

“Sorry for being a dick.” 

He chuckles. “We all have our moments.” 

“Even you, huh?”

“Of course.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Trust me, I’ve screwed up my fair share.”

“Do tell.”

He looks around. “I lost Noct once. We were kids and he was pissing me off, so I left him.”

“Who’s careless now?” You mock. He shrugs and gives a coy smile. 

The lid on the stew clangs around. You snatch the pot and scoop out a bowl for each of you. You hand over one to Gladio then sit down to eat.

“This is great! What’re you doing in the Crownsguard with cooking skills like this?” His delightful enthusiasm wanes when he sees your downtrodden face.

“My dad was a chef. He taught me a few things before he left to start a restaurant in Lestallum. He was gonna come back for us, but ended up starting a new family there too. I stopped cooking and started getting in fights. Cor saw me one day and recruited me. Shortly after that I met Ignis and he helped me get back into cooking.” You stir your stew and suddenly realize how much you’ve just opened up to him. “Sorry, didn’t mean to just throw out my whole life story there.” You laugh nervously, hoping it’s enough to cover yourself. 

He looks remorsefully at you. “Sorry I, didn’t know.”

You wave him off. “Don’t worry. Besides, isn’t this part of training, getting to know each other better?” You’re surprised at how easy it is to open up to him. 

You eat together in silence. When you’re done, you tilt your head back and close your eyes. You start to drift off, the crackling of the fire serenading you.

“You done?” You jolt at Gladio’s words as he hovers over you.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Don’t worry though, I’ll clean up.”

He steals the bowl from your hands. “I don’t think so. You cooked, least I could do is take care of a few dishes.” He smiles warmly.

“Thanks.” You mutter bashfully, hoping the fire will conceal the flush in your cheeks. You tilt your head back and continue listening to the sounds of the wilderness. You understand why he likes it out here. 

You drift delightfully in and out of consciousness for a few minutes. You can hear the fire starting to lose steam and open your eyes to stare at the stars. 

Sometime later, Gladio grabs a book and reads by the firelight. You catch him engrossed in his book. You lean over to read the title and fall off your chair.

He closes his book and sends a concerned glance and hand your way. “You okay?” He helps you up. You blush, luckily it’s concealed by the fire.

“Fine I was just trying to catch the title. I didn’t know you liked to read.”

“Don’t have much time for it now, but it helps me relax.”

“What’re you reading, anyway?”

“Can you keep a secret?”

“Of course.”

He eyes you a moment, then hands over the book. You scan a couple of lines and takes it in. You could call it action, sure but it was deeply laced with strong romance motifs. 

“Wow.” You sigh as you hand the book back. “I was expecting heavy action or sci-fi, not this.”

“Our little secret okay?” He winks mischievously. You wink in return and look back at the stars. 

“Wanna know a secret of mine?” You ask.

“Shoot.”

“I’ve read the whole series.”

He lets out a deep laugh and you smile and chuckle in spite of yourself. You look over to him. “You think this one is good, wait until you get to book three. Really juicy stuff happening there.”

“Can’t wait. No spoilers though.”

You raise your hand to fake being offended. “I would never dare.” You smile warmly at each other. The fires sputters out.

“Guess that’s our cue to call it a night.” 

“I’ll warn you, I’m a pretty crappy sleeper. You might accidentally get punched.”

“Accidentally, huh?” He smirks. You shrug. “Do what you gotta do, I pretty much sleep like a rock.”

“Even out here?”

“Especially out here. No sounds of the city, no alarms. It’s relaxing.” You can’t help but get swept up in his love for the place.

“Yeah, I guess a girl could get used to it.”

He chuckles. “Come on.” He holds the tent flap open for you and ushers you inside. His hand nearly touches the small of your back as you enter. 

You climb in your bedroll and pull it tight to your neck. He laughs. You wiggle yourself farther away from him. 

“What’re you doing?” He asks.

“I’m not exaggerating, I flail around. I’m saving you from being assaulted in your sleep. You should be grateful.” You settle for a moment then shiver. “Damn it’s cold out here.”

“Soldiers usually sleep back to back for warmth and to keep watch.”

“What do we have to watch out for?”

He shakes his head. “Just get over here.”

You eye him dubiously then wiggle over. You slowly inch your back to his. “You’re on fire!”

He laughs. “Better than being left out in the cold right.”

“For now, but I take no responsibility for the things I do in my sleep, understand?”

“Fair enough. Let’s get some rest.”

You didn’t want to admit how good it felt lying next to him, leeching his body heat. He was an ever burning furnace and you greatly appreciated it on this cold night.


	6. Good Morning

You wake slowly, blinking the sleep from your eyes. After a cursory look around, the birds outside chirp happily and you sigh contentedly. _He was right, this is relaxing._ You’d slept better than you had in a long time, and so far, no signs of flailing. 

You go to sit up when you feel a weight on top of you. You look down to see Gladio’s massive hand protectively draped around your midsection. _Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! This is my nightmare and my dream all in one!_

You panic inside your head and struggle to figure out what to do. You try to wriggle free, but the movement causes a chain reaction. Gladio pulls you in tighter and nuzzles his face into your neck. 

_Fuck! What the hell do I do?_ Your heart races. As much as you would love to to enjoy the quiet moment of him holding you, you know he isn’t doing it consciously. No doubt he thought he was back in his own bed with a beautiful woman by his side. 

Your heart thumps in your ears. You struggle to keep your breathing steady. No chance of falling back asleep now. The sky begins to lighten up as it’s nearly dawn. You have no choice but to ride out the shock until he wakes up. 

After what seemed like eternity, Gladio stirs. He nuzzles sleepily into your neck before emitting a low grunt of awareness. 

_Oh shit, here we go._ You close your eyes loosely to pretend you’re sleeping. Gladio slowly pulls his head up and cranes it around to your face. Upon seeing you, presumably asleep, he slowly pulls his arm up and away and shimmies out of his sleeping bag to head outside. 

You can hear him pacing and quietly chastising himself for what he’s done. You only catch a few words. 

“Idiot… never gonna accept… dumb thing to do…” You heart sinks. You really don’t have a chance. You shiver as the last of his warmth fades. _Time to face the music._ You yawn loudly and stretch to get his attention. He stops his pacing and returns to the tent entrance. 

You rub your eyes as he unzips the tent flap. “Hey.” He says curtly.

“Hey.” You reply in kind.

He looks away and you swear you can see the slightest flush rise in his cheeks. “You sleep okay?” He asks. 

“Yeah, I think so. Once I warmed up.” _Shit, why’d I say that, he’s gonna think I’m a creep._

“Yeah, it gets easier the more often you do it.” 

_Oh, this is awkward._ “I better make us some breakfast.”

“Sounds good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm stalled right now. Later chapters are finished, but I still need to bridge the gap. I will post it when I finish. Hope you've enjoyed it this far!


	7. The Hunt is On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking on some hunts

After breakfast both of you head out into the wilderness to see just what beasts feel like messing with you this time. 

You come up on a pack of agitated garulas. You huddle together behind a rock.

“What’re you thinking?” Gladio asks you as he peeks behind the boulder.

“I’m thinking steak’s on the menu tonight.” You smirk. 

“Great minds, huh.” He winks at you. 

“How you wanna do this then?” 

“We take the small ones out first. Quick hits, nothing too fancy, then we take the big guy.” He gives the orders militantly.

You nod in agreement then sneak away. You count six juvenile garulas and one adult. _This shouldn’t be too hard,_ you reason. As you get into position, you hear guttural moans from the herd. Gladio already has two beasts down. 

“Time to get in on the action.” You blast yourself towards a small garula with extra confidence. _Time to show Gladio what I can really do._

Your daggers cut clean slices up the beast and it falls in a heap. You turn to boast proudly and see a garula charging towards Gladio who is busy with the other two small beasts. 

“Look out!” You yell. Gladio holds off the other two and cautions a look to your warning. 

You fling both your daggers ahead. They strike the beast and he falls dead just a few feet from Gladio. He gives you a curt nod and grunt as he hefts the other two beasts away. 

You scoop up your daggers and go back to back with him. 

“Thanks for that.” He offers.

“Anytime. These guys aren’t so tough, are they?”

Gladio chuckles. “Betcha can’t take ‘em down in under 10 seconds.”

“Oh, you are so on!” Without any further warning, you bolt towards a garula. It charges at you. You get closer. Just as the beast is about to trample you, you slide, feet first, underneath and slice open it’s belly. 

Not even a whine escapes its throat as it falls. You get to your feet and see Gladio take down the other small garula with one slice. He pulls away his sword and turns to you.

“Took you long enough.” You tease. 

“Heads up!” You turn to see the larger garula stampeding for you. A quick dodge to the side is just enough for you to evade a trampling. Gladio goes to your side, offering a hand to pull you up. 

“Thanks.”

The two of you square off with the beast. It’s eyes twitch with fury and fear. You look to Gladio and smirk.

“How’s you’re throwing arm?”

“What’ve you got in mind?”

You regrip your daggers so you can easily stab downward. You go to him and tilt his broadsword so you can stand on it. 

“Just get me as high as possible.”

He nods and adjusts his grip. You place a hand on his shoulder for stability. 

“Two spins and off you go.” He explains. You nod and regain your balance. He twirls once, then picks up speed for the second rotation. Near the end, he drops his shoulder and you let go. He rockets you skyward, far above the beast. 

At the apex of your jump you look down to see Gladio charging the beast. He slashes across its foreleg. The creature rears, leaving its chest wide open to you. You cross your legs and wrists as you speed down to the beast. A human lance heading straight for its heart. Seconds later, you make contact. The beast howls in pain before crashing on its back. You hold onto your dagger tight so as not to get tossed aside.

When the dust settles, you replace your daggers at your side. The adrenaline of battle takes over. You jump down from the beast and cheer triumphantly. 

Gladio rounds the beast and greets you with an impressed smile. “You really are full of surprises.” 

“Hell yeah! I can’t believe we really did it!” You sprint towards him, hand poised for a congratulatory high five, when you trip over a stone and begin to faceplant towards the ground. You only have time to close your eyes and brace for the impact. I never comes. Instead, you feel yourself being pulled up. Two firm hands grip your waist. _Oh gods…_

You peel your eyes open and see Gladio’s mere inches from yours. You both stare at each other, dumbfounded, before you finally regain your sense. 

“Uh, thanks…” you sputter out. You scratch your neck nervously. He slowly lets you go.

“Wouldn’t wanna ruin that pretty face of yours.” He smirks. 

_The fuck? Did he really just say that? To me? Must. Think. Of. Comeback…_

“Because you’ve been so careful with yours?” You mock.

He traces his scar with his fingertips. “Ladies love scars.” He winks.

_Why yes we do. Wait, shit! What is happening here?_

“We better get this meat while it’s fresh?” You turn and hack away at the beast, leaving Gladio alone with his thoughts.


	8. Sleep Take Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nightime comes again. How will sleeping arrangements go this time?

After a delicious steak dinner, the two of you sit beside the fire once again. Gladio continues to read as you stare at the stars. 

“So, you _really_ sleep well last night?” Gladio asks. 

“Yeah. Best sleep I’ve had in ages actually.” 

“Yeah, me too…” You flinch. 

“Yeah, must be all this nature.” _Right, that’s gotta be the reason you slept well. It couldn’t have been cuz I was there…_

The fire slowly dies out. _Here we go again…_

You resume your previous nights sleeping arrangements wordlessly. Back to back, your breathing eventually syncs up. You can tell he’s straining to keep himself rolled to the side. When you’re certain he’s asleep, you roll so you’re facing his back, warming your face up against him. You involuntarily nuzzle his back and you feel and hear him sigh deeply. You slowly drift off.

\------------------------------ 

You feel a bit squished when you wake. You keep your eyes closed, not wanting to fully wake up. You inhale deeply through your nose and smell Gladio’s strong musk. You breathe it in again. Heavenly. You slowly become aware of the rest of your body. Your left arm is under your head. Your legs are smushed over towards Gladio, perhaps a bit too close. And your right arm is… _Oh shit!_

You’ve really done it this time. You peer out your right eye and see your right arm under Gladio’s left, curling up to his neck. His arm drapes around you again and his head rests on top of yours. _Shit, this is bad._

Gladio continues breathing steadily. He seems so peaceful and soft in his sleep. _You know what, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em._ You nuzzle into his chest, regretting nothing, and fall back asleep.

\------------------------------ 

Gladio clears his throat and your eyes fly open. His arm no longer around you, but yours still clings to him. “Morning.”

 _Fuck! What do I do?_ “Uh, yeah…” _How pathetic._ You remove your hand and sit up, trying not to draw attention to the situation and utterly failing. You stare down the tent opening. 

“Sleep okay?” He asks, nervously raking his hand through his hair.

“Honestly…” you turn to him, eyeing his expectant expression. “Yeah.” You look down. “Even better than last night.” You rub your thumb and fingers together. 

“Yeah, me too.” You snap up to look at him, but he stares at the tent wall. 

“Breakfast?” You chime. He nods. You leave the tent and head over to your makeshift kitchen to pull out some ingredients. You accidentally break an egg. “Fuck.” You rasp out. You set your fists down and rest your head on them. _This is a disaster._

You hand him a plate of eggs and sit down to enjoy your own. When you finish eating, the calm of the wilderness is agonizing. 

“You were right about this place. Really does relax you. Must be all the fresh air.”

“The company helps.” He replies with a hint of playfulness in his voice.

You look to him and turn away as you spy his wolffish grin. _What the hell is up with him? He can’t seriously be interested in me… can he?_

He grabs your plate and cleans up. _I might as well rip the band aid off…_

“Sorry if I was, um, inappropriate in my sleep.” You rub your thumb and fingers together, refusing to look over at him. 

“What d’you mean?” 

“You really want me to elaborate?”

“Please.” The teasing in his voice pulls your head towards him. His back faces you as he cleans up, but he turns slightly and you swear you see a cheeky grin slice his face.

You sigh. _You’re really gonna make me do this, huh?_ “You know, the whole, like, cuddling thing…” You ensure you look away from him.

“Not like you were the only offender.” He muses. You venture a glance towards him. He winks at you. 

“Huh?” 

“I may have done something similar the night before.”

“Yeah, I know.” _Whoops._

“You know?” Panic washes his face. 

“Yeah, well, I woke up before you and tried to move and was kinda, trapped so…”

“You mean I’ve been freaking out this entire time and you already knew?”

“Sorry?” You grit your teeth, unsure of where the conversation is headed. He comes back over and sits in his chair. An uncomfortable silence passes.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

You shrug. “I dunno. Didn’t seem right. You were clearly dreaming and imagining you were back home with some beautiful girl by your side. You didn’t know what you were doing, so I guess I didn’t want to embarrass you.”

“Who says I didn’t know what I was doing?” His voice is dead serious. You look to him. 

“What, like you _meant_ to wrap your arm around me?” You roll your eyes at the ridiculous idea. 

“What if I did?” He cocks and eyebrow and you have trouble reading him. _Could he possibly feel the same way?_

“I…”

Your phone rings, causing you to jump. You scan the caller ID. “It’s the Marshal.” You explain as you answer. “Hello?”

“We’re just leaving the city now. Be at the pick up point in two hours.”

“Sure. See you then.” You hang up.

Gladio eyes you expectantly, mind still on your previous conversation. 

“Time for us to head out.” You offer and start packing up your supplies. Gladio lets out a defeated sigh and begins breaking down camp.


	9. The Way Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Gladio head to the pickup point.

You make your way back to the pickup point in silence. Neither of you willing to break the tension. You’re so lost in your own head that you don’t see the group of killer wasps heading right towards you.

“Heads up!” Gladio yells as he jumps in and pushes you aside. You fall and your items scatter. You quickly jump up, pull your daggers and go back to back with Gladio. 

The two of you make quick work of the beasts. Hack and slash and they’re finished in under a minute. Satisfied, you go to repack your cooking items. “Next time don’t make me scatter everything.” You tease him. He shrugs in an apologetically charming way. _Maybe everything’ll be okay…_

“Look out!” You look up to see an angry killer wasp going straight for you. You paw for your daggers, somewhere underneath all the supplies, but you can’t find them. Gladio steps in. He blocks the insect, but its stinger trails off his sword and punctures his right shoulder. He falls down, poisoned. 

“Gladio!” You screech. His head rolls sluggishly as strength drains from his body. You lob the last of your fire magic at the beast and it dies. 

You crawl over to Gladio and turn him over. His shoulder turns purple and swells. The stinger angrily pokes out. He begins to take on a green color. Your hands shake as you remove the stinger. He tries to prop himself up with his other arm, his face strains in pain. 

“Don’t.” You hiss, fighting back tears. You dig through your bag. _Where is it? Where is it?_ Finally you find the antidote you’ve been searching for. You turn back to him. His eyes glass over and his breathing becomes ragged. You grasp his good hand for comfort, rubbing the back of his fingers with your thumb. 

“This isn’t gonna feel good.” You explain as you smash the antidote bottle to his wound. He convulses and grips your hand. You hear bones creak. You hold him down with your left forearm on his chest so that the medicine can do its job. Tears sneak out as you watch him struggle. _I can’t handle this! What if something really bad happens? What if he dies?! I can’t live with myself knowing I caused this…_

Just then, he settles. The swelling in his shoulder subsides and a trickle of blood seeps out. You grab your medic kit and hastily apply some ointment, a bandage and a wrap. You examine his face and see the color back in it. You sigh in relief and drop your head to his chest. Gladio stirs. You whip your head up.

“Ugh, how long was I out?” He mumbles.

“Not long. You should be okay, I think, but you’re probably gonna feel like crap for awhile.” You give him a relieved smile. 

He props himself up and examines the wound. “Good thing I have you here to look after me, huh?” He beams warmly. You look down to conceal the flush in your cheeks and the shaking of your hands. 

You scoop up the gear and go to his good side. You slip his arm over your shoulder and grasp his waist, slipping your thumb through a belt loop for a proper hold. “C’mon. We gotta get you back.” 

He gives you a bemused look. “I can walk on my own, you know.”

“I’m not taking any chances.” You reply curtly and stare on ahead. 

He smiles adoringly at you. “Whatever you say.” You both trudge to the pickup point.


	10. Debrief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Gladio discuss the mission with Cor.

Back in the Citadel, Cor goes over a debriefing. 

“So, how’d it go?” Cor asks, eyeing Gladio’s bandaged shoulder.

“Not too bad. A little banged up, but nothing too rough, right?” He nudges you. You clench your fists. 

“Fair enough.” Cor begins. “We’ve decided to add the training into our regimen. You’ll be out in the field twice a month.”

“I want a new partner.” You mutter quietly.

Gladio arches an eyebrow. Cor turns to you. “I’m sorry?”

You raise your head to look Cor in the eyes. “If we’re doing this on a regular basis, I want a new partner.”

Gladio tries to get you to look at him. “Why? I thought we worked out fine.”

You refuse to acknowledge him and stare straight at Cor. “Give me a new partner or I’m leaving the Crownsguard to go back to the Glaives.” Your eyes twitch as they hold back tears. 

Gladio can’t stand it, he pulls you to face him. “Seriously, what’s wrong?”

“I don’t want to work with you anymore Gladio!” You snap up to stare him down. 

Your intensity causes him to drop your arm. You begin to tremble and look to Cor. “Let me know what you decide.” You strut out slowly, biting your lip to stop your shaking sobs as your eyes flood with tears. 

You leave behind a dumbfounded Cor and a hurt Gladio.


	11. Coward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You avoid Gladio at all costs.

The next couple of weeks, you go as far out of your way as necessary to avoid him. You begin training at night and take the back entrance as often as you can. 

So far you’d been successful, but your luck was about to run out. You and Ignis were putting in extra late night hours to go over treaty revisions and decided to help yourselves to the kitchen for diner.

You offer to do the dishes while Ignis returns to finalize some paperwork. The monotony of hand washing allows you to zone out. You’re so calm and focused on your task that you don’t hear the door open and the footsteps approach you from behind.

“Y/N?” Gladio asks, stunned. 

Your head snaps up and you see his reflection in the stainless steel wall in front of you. _Shit! Shit! What do I do?_

You see him inch forward and before you know what you’re doing you’ve already circled around and made your way through the door. 

“Wait!” He calls after you, voice full of concern and sorrow. 

You sprint down the hall, your heartbeat in your ears. Luckily you had a head start, but he could still make up the ground. You fly back into Ignis’s office and slap your back against the wall.

“That was certainly quick.”

“Shhh!” You snap. 

Ignis cocks and annoyed eyebrow at you. Footsteps tap frantically down the hall and come to a slow halt outside. A knock comes at the door.

“Ignis? You still here?” Gladio barks from outside. 

Your panicked eyes find Ignis. “I’m not here.” You mouth. 

He lets out an exasperated sigh as he goes to the door. “Yes. One moment.” He opens the door to find Gladio panting. “Something the matter?”

“Have you seen Y/N?” He nearly begs. 

You cover your face with your hands and shake your head.

“I can’t say that I have.” Ignis replies. 

Gladio slumps. “Oh, never mind then…” He turns and trudges off. 

Ignis frowns as his friend sulks off. He shuts the door and crosses his arms at you. “I don’t recall the last time I’ve seen him this worried.”

“Worried that I can’t hold my own.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“I blew it Ignis. I wasn’t strong enough. I wasn’t fast enough. We got ambushed and I couldn’t hack it. I was about to get attacked and Gladio stepped in the way and he got hurt.” Tears begin to crest in your eyes. “I couldn’t stand to see him like that. To know that he was hurting because of _my_ stupid mistake. Because _I_ wasn’t good enough. I’ll never be good enough.” 

“He’s a shield, it’s his job.”

“It’s supposed to be _my_ job too! And I can’t even get that right!” Your frustration comes out in tears.

“So you haven’t told him.” 

“Of course not! And you keep your mouth shut. You butting in is what got us here in the first place!”

Ignis gives you a stern, _watch your tone,_ look and you back down. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it, just, please don’t say anything.”

“You’re not that scared little girl who first showed up here years ago. Everyone else can see that, why can’t you?”

You open your mouth and stop. Finally, you find some words. “Please Ignis…”

He eyes you morosely. “If that’s what you wish.”


	12. Confidant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio confides in Ignis.

An hour of so after you’ve left, Ignis finally finishes up. He continues to scan documents as he locks up. The sound of footsteps makes him look up. Gladio paces the hall. 

“You’re still here?” Ignis asks.

“Yeah.” He shifts awkwardly. “You done?”

“Only just. On my way out now.”

“Mind if I join you?”

“Not at all.”

Gladio walks in step with Ignis as they head out. Ignis loses himself in his documents as Gladio opens up. 

“I don’t get it.” He laments. “Everything was going fine, we were getting along great, maybe too great. I don’t know what happened.”

Ignis hums in agreement.

“Are you even listening?” Gladio barks.

“Of course I am. The two of you were getting along, then suddenly she’s become distant and avoidant. Leaving you frustrated.”

“Smart ass.” Gladio huffs.

“Did you ever think to look at it from her perspective?”

“What d’you mean?”

Ignis pinches the bridge of his nose, as he struggles to keep his promise to you. “I _mean_ , what happened prior to her sudden change in demeanor?”

Gladio thinks on it. “We got ambushed. She was about to get hit so I blocked her. Wait, she’s not pissed about that, is she?” Ignis raises an eyebrow, prompting him to continue with the thought. “I just stepped in to help, why would that make her mad?”

Ignis lets out a frustrated sigh at his friend’s thick headedness. “Think about it, you’re both in the Crownsguard, both protectors, yet you had to step in and protect her and got injured in the process.”

“So what? She thinks she’s not a good member of the guard?”

“That may be part of it.”

“What’s the other part?”

“How do you think she felt, watching you take that blow?”

Gladio’s brow furrows. “She’s mad cuz I took a hit?”

Ignis lets out an exasperated, _if you don’t get it now you never will,_ sigh.


	13. New Partners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get a new partner and things start well enough...

“You called for me Marshal?” You ask as you step into Cor’s office. He hands you a folder. You scan it. “Your new partner, as requested. A bit of a rookie, but I’m sure you’ll show him how we operate.”

“Thank you.”

You leave the Marshal’s office and look over the file. The kid is super green. In the Crownsguard for just under a month. Decent weapons training, but virtually no magic experience. “Well, I guess we’ll start there, then.” You say to yourself as you walk. 

“And just where would that be?” You look up to see Gladio peering at you with a bemusing grin. 

“Gladio! Oh, umm…” you flash the folder. “New kid. No magic experience, gonna have to show him the ropes.”

“He’s got a good teacher. Lucky guy.” He smiles warmly at you. _Why is he being so nice? This is intolerable. I thought I was doing better with him out of my life, but he keeps coming back. How can I shake my feelings if he’s always around?_

“Hey, you there?” He asks playfully, waving a hand in front of your face. 

“Huh, oh, yeah, sorry. Just, coming up with a game plan.” You internally groan. “Well, I gotta get going.” You scurry away.

“Be safe out there.” He replies seriously.

“Y, Yeah, you too…” You shuffle off, tail between your legs, unable to see the sadness in Gladio’s eyes.

\------------------------------ 

“Not too bad.” You say to your new partner. He’s getting a pretty good handle on the magic. _Just as long as he doesn’t get too cocky, it should be all right._

As soon as you think it, a massive fireball roars over your head and into the cliff side behind you. You drop to the ground to avoid being singed and can’t help the angry tone that comes out of you. 

“Hey, watch what you’re doing, it’s not just your ass on the line!” _Wow, I sound just like him…_

Debris sprinkles on to your back and you look up just in time to see boulders falling straight for you. Gravity is not on your side. You roll left, but a larger rock pins your leg. You hear a terrible crunching noise as it connects with your calf. 

“Ahh!” You scream out. Frantically, you scan for your partner. He stares, dumbstruck, above you. “What are you doing? Help me!” It takes you a moment for you to register that he’s in shock and not even looking at you. You follow his sight line and see a gigantic boulder heading straight for you. You cross your arms in front of your head and brace for contact. 

The next thing you remember is darkness.


	14. Injured Parties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You recover from your injuries, and Gladio is there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I finished this instead of getting actual work done. Happy New Year everyone.

You come to slowly, unsure where you are. 

“She’s finally awake.” The gruff voice is laced with concern and anger. 

You try and get your vision to clear, but it’s still cloudy. Your head is pounding and you feel nauseous. Finally your eyes land on the commenter. Gladio. Arms crossed, attempting to keep himself in check. _What is happening…?_ Your vision clears and he slowly comes into focus.

“Gladio?” His posture loosens at your voice. You bring your hand to your head as you try and process everything. The thick bandage across your temple sends images of rocks and tumbles through your mind. “What’s going on?”

“Your idiot of a new a partner let a cliff collapse on you. At least he had enough sense to call the Marshal.“

Suddenly, you’re overcome with extreme exhaustion. You’re tired. You’re tired of trying. You’re tired of the game. You’re tired of all of it. “Whatever.”

“ _Whatever?_ ” He asks incredulously.

“Yeah. Look, I’m tired. I just about got killed and I don’t need you giving me a lecture.” The drugs and your emotions are starting to get the better of you, you know anything he says has a chance of pushing you over the edge, and you really don’t want that. 

“Sounds to me like you need it.”

“Are you serious? You’re the reason I’m laid up right now.”

“The hell’re you talking about?”

“If you hadn’t been so, so… agh!” You can feel the tears sneaking their way up. _Damnit! It’s too much, I’m gonna spill everything._

He approaches you cautiously, seeming to battle his own emotions, but anger mostly wins out. “If you hadn’t gone and done a partner swap, this wouldn’t’ve happened!” He takes a breath and lets out a defeated sigh. “Was being with me really that horrible?”

“Of course not!” You scream back. Your emotions have kicked you into overdrive. No turning back now. “That was the best I’ve felt in ages!”

“Same.” He replies evenly. 

A harsh silence lingers between you.

“So what happened?” His voice deeply distressed. 

You clench your fists. “I was proved right.”

“What?”

“I wasn’t good enough. I’m still not good enough. If I were, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”

“Seriously? _That’s_ what’s got you bent outta shape? It was a wasp! Slap on some antidote and you’re good to go. What’s the problem?”

“You did’t see how you looked! It thought you were gonna die! I couldn’t stand to see you like that! To see someone I care about hurting because of _my_ mistake!” 

“So that’s how you show someone you care, huh? Push ‘em away without so much as a warning?”

“Like you give a shit!” You didn’t mean for it to come out so biting, but you were pissed.

“I’m here, aren’t I?! You see anyone else staying here all day and night to see if you’re okay?” His booming voice echoes through the infirmary. He takes a moment to compose himself before he continues. “So don’t act like I don’t give a damn, cuz I do.” His voice nearly cracks at the end.

You eye him cautiously. “Why? Why would you wanna waste any time with someone like me? I’m no good to anyone. Not even myself.”

“You’re good enough for me.” 

That does it. You crack. You cry so much you begin to shake. You close your eyes. You can’t stand to look at Gladio. To have him see you like this. You crunch your legs in and bring your hands to your face. 

He crawls in behind you. You’re not sure what’s happening at first, then you feel his legs slide next to yours and his arms wrap around your waist and pull you in tight. 

Your breath hitches at first and you stop crying. You feel him tense up, as if wondering if he’s done the right thing. You turn to look at him. He offers you a sad smile with a hopeful glimmer in his eyes. You smile back and rest your head on his chest and your arms on top of his. You feel weight on your head as he rests his own there. You close your eyes and let the remaining tears fall.

“I’m an idiot.” He whispers.

“Huh?”

“I didn’t understand what was going on.”

“You caught on eventually.” You tease with a smile. 

His head lifts up, so does his arm. You open your eyes and find him raising your face up to his. Before you know it, your lips connect. With his stature and personality you were expecting something forceful with passion. That’s not what you got. What you got was something soft and tender. No, those weren’t the right words. You were searching for it. 

_Loving._ That was it, it was loving. In that moment you realize that all your inner turmoil has been worth it. Gladio is here, with you. And you find yourself getting completely lost in the moment.

\------------------------------ 

Ignis finally looked up from his papers as he entered the infirmary. He stopped in his tracks and smiled at what he saw. Slowly and silently he backtracked out of the room.

“Well it’s about bloody time.” He mused as he clicked off.


End file.
